New members will support BRITE’s continued growth as the leading clean energy ecosystem across Ohio with regional, national, and global connections.
WARREN, OH – BRITE Energy Innovators (BRITE) is pleased to announce the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors, along with newly appointed Board Leadership to guide the next phase of growth for the organization. The new members are passionate about advancing the clean energy economy while providing mentorship and support to cleantech startups.
“We’re excited to expand our board with six new members who bring a diverse perspective to our clean energy ecosystem at BRITE,” said Rick Stockburger, President & CEO. “Our continued growth is driven by strong board leadership, and we’re fortunate to welcome individuals who provide regional, national, and international perspective to our work.”
BRITE also appointed Michael Stacey, Director and ZEV Campaign Leader for the KPMG Infrastructure Practice, as the organization’s Board Chair – the third individual in BRITE’s history to hold the position. Stacey has served on BRITE’s Board of Directors since 2021 and his experience both as an entrepreneur and a leader at KPMG provides excellent perspective to support the organization’s continued growth. Courtney Gras, Startup Community Lead for Amazon Web Services, was appointed Vice-Chair, Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners and White Glove Payroll was appointed Treasurer, and Alexa Sweeney-Blackann, former President of Sweeney Chevrolet and Sweeney Buick GMC was appointed Secretary.
The new board members began their three-year terms with BRITE effective January 1, 2024, and can serve two consecutive terms. The six new board members are:
- Patricia Grospiron, Executive Director, Builder Platform for The Engine Accelerator
- Samuel Huston, Market President, Mahoning Valley for Huntington National Bank
- Rev. Todd Johnson, Pastor at Second Baptist Church; First Ward Councilman, City of Warren
- Marvin Logan Jr., Director, Education and Employment at Rocket Community Fund
- Jennifer Lynch, Principal at Remington Road Group
- Michael Repetto, Sr. Director, NA EV Business, Foxconn EV System
Stacey added, “On behalf of the board, I want to express our gratitude to outgoing chair Michael Hripko, whose steadfast support saw the organization through a period of extreme growth and welcome our new members. We look forward to continuing to build upon the groundwork that has been laid while we work collectively to advance the clean energy economy, bringing more opportunity, more clean energy innovation, and more support to the 100+ startups that BRITE currently serves.”
This announcement comes on the heels of an eventful 2023 for BRITE. Building upon its core mission, BRITE is progressing from a place-based incubator to an innovation-first ecosystem, driving the transition to a clean energy future. In addition to serving as the state’s only clean energy incubator providing signature startup programs, BRITE provides an expansive ecosystem connecting industry, business, startups, academia, community, government, and philanthropy within the BRITEnetwork, and strategic presence in key markets to empower local clean energy ecosystems.
About BRITE
BRITE is an innovation-first ecosystem advancing the transition to a clean energy economy. Founded as a 501c3 nonprofit in 2010 to accelerate energy technology and economic development in Northeast Ohio, we’ve since helped more than 650 companies across the state scale to create more than 2,100 good-paying jobs and secure third-party investment of over $350 million.
